Featured Hotels

Featured Restaurants

Featured Spas

Overview

Everything is bigger in Texas, and Houston leads that charge; big oil, big trucks and big barbecue flavors rule America’s fourth-largest city. Houston sprawls further than most cities, so having a car is a must. You can’t miss the Fortune-500 skyscrapers in Houston’s downtown, but tucked within the glass-and-mortar forest, you’ll find fun; a lack of zoning restrictions makes for some interesting juxtapositions. Ride up to the 60th floor to the Chase Tower Observatory to peer down from Texas’ tallest building, then pop a few streets over to the Downtown Aquarium. Kids will love playing in bubbles and in other interactive exhibits at the Children’s Museum of Houston, and the Menil Collection houses one of the most-adored private collections of art in the world, with the likes of René Magritte populating its halls. Keep in mind that temperatures spike to triple digits in the summer, so virtually every building blasts air conditioning. If you can brave the elements, the city has a vibrant sports culture, with the Texans (NFL), Astros (MLB) and Rockets (NBA) hosting home games in Houston. But if you’re after a little more culture and arts, head over to Neartown, where the Montrose neighborhood gears things toward the LGBT and arts sects, with offbeat thrift shops, cafes and music venues, while Midtown fuses trendy sushi restaurant and loft apartments for an urban-chic vibe.

Map

Followers

There are plenty of ways to find romance in this city. From breathtaking wild flowers to a fabulous opera performance, it is hard not to find some parts of Houston romantic. Here are five ways to romance your Houston honey:

1. Take in Memorial Park: Pack a picnic and head over to the city’s largest urban park. With 1,500 acres to choose from, you’re sure to find the perfect spot for two. Active couples can take an afternoon walk on the gravel jogging path that loops the park. Picnickers beware: Don’t lay your blanket on any ant mounds. Houston has a large population of fire ants and their bites are a sure-fire mood killer.

2. See an opera or a ballet: Nothing says romance like a night out at the theater. The Houston Grand Opera often has international stars grace is stage. The black tie performances give you a chance to dress up for a night out. Far from boring, the Houston Grand Opera will keep you on the edge of your seat, if only for the notes that the performers hit. You may not think it, but the Houston Ballet Company is hailed as one of the best in the nation. We suggest picking out a holiday show to take that special someone to. Both are located downtown.

3. Stroll at Hermann Park: Located in the Museum District, this historic 445-acre space has everything you need for love: large lawns, gardens and an idyllic lake for paddle boating. As you walk toward the lake, you’ll be guided a path lined by beautiful trees and plenty of nature. Head over to the right side of the lake to the walking bridge where you can watch the plethora of turtles gliding through the water.

4. Stop and Smell the Bluebonnets: The Texas state flower blooms in spring, making way for picturesque views and celebrations throughout Houston. Take in the beautiful sight on Highway 290, which gets completely bordered by bluebonnets - you’ll notice cars pulled to the side every other mile to take pictures in the breathtaking fields of wildflowers. If you keep heading west on 290, you’ll make it to Chappell Hill, which is home to the official bluebonnet festival each April.

5.Take a horse drawn carriage ride: You’ll find several of these romantic rides downtown. Hop on one and take a hand-in-hand ride as you soak in the Houston sites. Of course, nothing says Texas like a horse drawn carriage. We suggest you arrange a ride after rush hour, so you don’t have cars honking in your ear, interrupting your conversation with that special someone.

It's no secret that Houston summers get hot and sticky, but we wouldn't trade the never-ending sunshine for anything. The most comfortable times to visit are Fall & Spring, and if you're in our area (near the Houston Galleria), you should definitely visit around the holidays; the decor is top notch.

If you haven't experienced summer in Houston, then just know that the rumors are true- it's hot. The nice thing about the city though, is that there are a ton of amazing museums, shops and restaurants to keep you cool (and indoors). My all-time favorite time to be here is the fall or spring. The temperatures are mild and the outdoor spaces like Discovery Green and the Buffalo Bayou are a lot of fun to hang out in.

Artisan ChocolatesGo home with some of the most unique and adventurous flavor combinations with locally made decadent chocolate treats. Cacao & Cardamom was launched last year by artisan chocolatier Annie Rupani, who combines some seriously wild flavor combinations. Some of my favorite surprise flavors are Cardamom Rose, white chocolate ganache infused with cardamom with a touch of rose water, and their Lychee Basil made with tropical fruit and sweet basil in a white chocolate ganache. The most fun by far is the Strawberry Bubblegum, and my favorite is the irresistible Nutella Banana. Oh and I need I even mention how gorgeous they look?

Tex-Mex is king here in Houston, which is why choosing a "best" is a difficult task. Everyone has their favorite Tex-Mex place, the one that has the best fajitas or enchiladas.

Hard core enthusiasts swear by Mama Ninfa and her original Ninfa's on Navigation for their famous fajitas. From the same family, El Tiempo is often the first place that comes to mind when out-of-towners visit. Their fajitas are definitely impressive.

In terms of longevity, it would be hard to beat Molina's Cantina, a fixture on the Houston restaurant scene for 70 years and going strong. Their enchiladas de tejas, or cheese enchilada topped with chili con carne, is legend. Others swear by Lupe Tortilla's fajitas. The family-friendly restaurant is so successful that they've grown and expanded to several restaurants around town. Pico's Mex Mex is another mom and pop favorite, as is Teotihuacan. In Sugar Land, Lupita's, a family-friendly neighborhood mom and pop, offers fantastic fajitas as well.

Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen has been a hotspot of late for visiting chefs and celebrities. As the name would suggest, she specializes in made-from-scratch enchiladas, with many sauces that take up to eight hours to make. Her flagship location in Memorial features mesquite-grilled cabrito and other dishes cooked on the mesquite grill.

For Montrosians, there's no place like La Mexicana, serving Tex-Mex for 30-plus years. Also in Montrose, El Real Tex-Mex, housed in an old movie theater on the lower Westheimer strip, its tower emblazoned with the words, "Tex-Mex" offers old-school Tex-Mex with offerings like Frito Pie and creamy queso with chips. El Real is owned by former Houston Press food critic Robb Walsh with celebrity chef Bryan Caswell, and partner Bill Floyd. When syndicated "Ask a Mexican" columnist Gustavo Arellano came to Houston to promote his new book, that's where he held his afterparty.

Tex-Mex is king here in Houston, which is why choosing a "best" is a difficult task. Everyone has their favorite Tex-Mex place, the one that has the best fajitas or enchiladas.

Hard core enthusiasts swear by Mama Ninfa, and her original Ninfa's on Navigation for their famous fajitas. From the same family, El Tiempo is often the first place that comes to mind when out-of-towners visit. Their fajitas are definitely impressive.

In terms of longevity, it would be hard to beat Molina's Cantina, a fixture on the Houston restaurant scene for 70 years and going strong. Their enchiladas de tejas, or cheese enchilada topped with chili con carne, is legend. Others swear by Lupe Tortilla for their fajitas. The family-friendly restaurant is so successful that they've grown and expanded to several restaurants around town. Pico's Mex Mex is another mom and pop favoriate, as is Teotihuacan. And for Montrosians, there's no place like La Mexicana, serving Tex-Mex for 30-plus years. In Sugar Land, Lupita's, a family neighborhood mom and pop, offers fantastic fajitas as well.

Finally, El Real Tex-Mex, housed in an old movie theater on the lower Westheimer strip, its towner emblazoned with the words, "Tex-Mex" offers old-school Tex-Mex with offerings like Frito Pie in the heart of Montrose. Incidentally, El Real is owned by former Houston Press food critic Robb Walsh with celebrity chef Bryan Caswell, and partner Bill Floy. When syndicated "Ask a Mexican" columnist Gustavo Arellano came to Houston to promote his new book, that's where he held his afterparty.

Houston just happens to be home to the largest sushi club in the United States. Currently, Sushi Club of Houston has approximately 8,000 members and counting, which means that Houston has plenty of choices when it comes to sushi.

For some of the best creative sushi, visit Kata Robata, where James Beard nominated Japanese chef Manabu Horiuchi and his team deliver exciting creative nigiri. Selections like seared toro with quail egg, amaebi with uni, and foie gras with scallop glistens with freshness and melt in your mouth. Their sashimi appetizers, like the hamachi with foie gras, or the octopus carpaccio, are also amazing. The team is constantly innovating to come up with new and exciting offerings that reflect the freshest in daily selections, from live uni, tora-fugu, kobe beef, and live scallop. For the best experience, request an omakase, or chef's tasting, with Hori-san at the sushi counter.

For traditional nigiri sushi, sushi chef Chris Kinjo, a transplant from Atlanta, currently offers some of the most exquisite nigiri you'll sample in Houston at MF Sushi. His cuts are precise, his exotic fish -- delivered from Tsukiji Tuesdays and Fridays -- are unusual, and achingly fresh. O-toro, uni, kinmedai, baby yellowtail and more are on offer regularly. For the best experience, request an omakase, or chef's tasting, with Kinjo-san at the sushi counter.

Houston just happens to be home to the largest sushi club in the United States. Currently, Sushi Club of Houston has approximately 8,000 members and counting, which means that Houston has plenty of choices when it comes to sushi.

For some of the best creative sushi, visit Kata Robata, where James Beard nominated Japanese chef Manabu Horiuchi and his team deliver exciting creative nigiri. Selections ilke seared toro with quail egg, amaebi with uni, and foie gras with scallop glistens with freshness and melt in your mouth. Their sashimi appetizers, like the hamachi with foie gras, or the octopus carpaccio, are also amazing. The team is constantly innovating to come up with new and exciting offerings that reflect the freshest in daily selections, from live uni, tora-fugu, kobe beef, and live scallop. For the best experience, request an omakase, or chef's tasting, with Hori-san at the sushi counter.

For traditional nigiri sushi, sushi chef Chris Kinjo, a transplant from Atlanta, currently offers some of the most exquisite nigiri you'll sample in Houston at MF Sushi. His cuts are precise, his exotic fish -- delivered from Tsukiji Tuesdays and Fridays -- are unusual, and achingly fresh. O-toro, uni, kinmedai, baby yellowtail and more are on offer regularly. For the best experience, request an omakase, or chef's tasting, with Kinjo-san at the sushi counter.

Houston is home to some of the best grocery store shopping you can find stateside. Specialty Markets like Phoenicia Specialty Foods, essentially a world emporium of hard-to-find items from places like Croatia and Lebanon, to Greek and Spanish items, are amazing. They currently have two locations in Houston, one serving West Houston, and a newer flagship location in Downtown.

In River Oaks, Central Market is tough to beat. A gourmet food lover’s dream come true, it offers some of the finest produce, meats, and pre-prepared food items in the city, along with cooking classes to help you use their product. In The Woodlands area, Hubbell & Hudson offers another foodie paradise on a smaller scale.

We are blessed to have Spec’s Liquor store based in Houston. The flagship location on Smith street downtown is iconic, a literal warehouse of wine and liquor and everything that goes along with it.

On the Asian front, it’s anyone’s game. Viet Hoa is an excellent Vietnamese super-grocer, as is Hong Kong Food Market. Ranch 99 is one of the best Chinese supermarkets, and Super H Mart for Korean-focused grocery shopping. For Japanese foods, Daido Market, though smaller, offers a suitable selection of fresh fish and other Japanese products.

Houston is home to some of the best grocery store shopping you can find stateside. Specialty Markets like Phoenicia Specialty Foods, essentially a world emporium of hard-to-find items from places like Croatia and Lebanon, to Greek and Spanish items, is amazing. They currently have two locations in Houston, one serving West Houston, and a newer flagship location in Downtown.

In River Oaks, Central Market is tough to beat. A gourmet food lover’s dream come true, it offers some of the finest produce, meats, and pre-prepared food items in the city, along with cooking classes to help you use their product. In The Woodlands area, Hubbell & Hudson offers another foodie paradise on a smaller scale.

We are blessed to have Spec’s Liquor store based in Houston. The flagship location on Smith street downtown is iconic, a literal warehouse of wine and liquor and everything that goes along with it.

On the Asian front, it’s anyone’s game. Viet Hoa is an excellent Vietnamese super-grocer, as is Hong Kong Food Market. Ranch 99 is one of the best Chinese supermarkets, and Super H Mart for Korean-focused grocery shopping. For Japanese foods, Daido Market, though smaller, offers a suitable selection of fresh fish and other Japanese products.

Houston just happens to be home to the largest sushi club in the United States. Currently, Sushi Club of Houston has approximately 8,000 members and counting, which means that Houston has plenty of choices when it comes to sushi.

For some of the best creative sushi, visit Kata Robata, where James Beard nominated chef Manabu Horiuchi and his team deliver creative nigiri -- seared toro with quail egg, amaebi with uni, foie gras with scallop -- that glistens with freshness and melts in your mouth. Their sashimi appetizers are also delicious, and the team is constantly innovating to come up with new and exciting offerings that reflect the freshest in daily selections -- live uni, toro-fugu, kobe beef, and live scallop are just some of the items on offer. For the best experience, request a omakase, or chef's tasting, at the sushi counter.

For traditional nigiri sushi, sushi chef Chris Kinjo, a transplant from Atlanta, currently offers some of the most exquisite nigiri you'll sample in Houston. His cuts are precise, his exotic fish -- delivered from Tsukiji Tuesdays and Fridays -- are unusual, and achingly fresh. O-toro, uni, kinmedai, baby yellowtail and more are on offer regularly. For the best experience, request a omakase, or chef's tasting, at the sushi counter.